A Bright Future
by MacCharlie14
Summary: I live with my mother. My father is gone. Everyday that passes is all the same, until today, when I met Wilbur Robinson. Wilbur has a Time-Machine that can take you anywhere, anytime. And that's exactly what we did, but evenually I had to go home. I asked him, will I ever see you again. He didn't answer.
1. Chapter 1

_Girl(Name still to be decided) lives with her mum. Points to keep in mind, just in case I'm not clear in the story, her dad left, her old elementry school is dodgy, and she is a young teen (13-15 ish) haven't decided exact ages, I know, disorganised, but hope you like this, please comment, and I warn you, I may update fast, or it could take weeks, so bare with._

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Falling backwards, landing with a soft bounce, I let go of all of my exhaustion and sighed, letting my eyes drift shut. School was manic today. A speech, report, test. You name it, I had it all today. I swear the teachers plan to specifically give us all of the assessments and projects at least within the same week. Why? I don't know. Perhaps it is to prepare us for the future. Train us to cope with multiple tasks, and learn to deal with stress. After all, we might be living a very tough future. Politics, research, new technology. It's all changing, and fast. Just think of how hard we are going to have to work to keep up production in the next ten, maybe twenty years. How are we going to cope?

I sigh again, exasperated. "Why do I have to think sooooo much?" I flutter my eyes open. A spider dances across the ceiling as a tiny black dot against the bleak white paint, which peeled in places. How old is this house?

After lying there on my bed for a while, chills and shivers over took my body, and I was forced to get up, despite the fact that the rest of me didn't want to, and find a warmer set of clothes than the thin shirt and worn kilt I dressed in for school.

I open my draws to nothing, or at least nothing that I was looking for. Only loose t-shirts and one pair of denim jeans. Washing day. How convenient. I lift up a large black shirt, white spray paint formed the words 'The Clash.' It was one of the few things still remaining from my father. My mother hated it, but I convinced her to let me keep it. I don't care what she thinks of him or this shirt, the man she knows, is not the man I know.

My father was a kind, understanding man. He would always help me with school, and we shared that same interests. He would cook amazing curry and wear an awesome leather jacket. He was my imperfect hero. He was always willing to give anything a go, and he never really understood facebook. I love everything about him, but he is gone now. I have no idea where he is, or what exactly happened between him and mum. I know what I know, and I know he is an amazing person.

I slip into the shirt and pulled up my pants before returning to my bed, hugging myself and closing my eyes. Time slowly ticked away, and I felt the rhythm of my heart slow. The bitter cold tapped and pinched at my exposed skin, so I reach for my blanket, pulling it over myself. For a while longer I was still freezing, but soon the little warmth I radiated heated the little cocoon I had made.

A distant thumping sounded through the empty house. I knew it would be mum. Pulling my body up to my feet and tipping toeing to the front door, I see plastic supermarket bag on the step. Ahead, I could see mum rummaging through the back of the car, retrieving more. The bags were heavy. They were mainly filled with milk bottles and juice bottles, along with a few other things like chicken, and sauce.

Mum walked into the kitchen while I was unpacking. "What's for dinner?"

"Chicken stir-fry."

"Mmmmm."

We eat pretty good here, and I know that I am a pretty lucky girl. I go to school. Live in a fairly comfortable house. Got a nice computer. Yes, I am living alright, and I appreciate everything I have. I know I have a bright future ahead of me, but I worry for mum.

Looking at her, I see hollow cheeks. Chipped lips. greasy hair. She wasn't healthy, and is only going to get worse. Even before dad left, she had been fighting depression, and it crashed me to see her like this, but she just won't talk to me no matter how often or hard I try.

She is the best mum, and I couldn't ask for better. I love her, but I don't know if there is going to be much of a future. I try to stay positive, but it is so hard when you are watching her disappear more and more everyday. I see her just stare into space for hours. She picks at her dinner with a look of disgust. The last time I heard her laugh a real, joyful laugh, was when I was much younger.

But what can I do. I have talked to a therapist, who tried to talk to my mum. That ended badly. I have tried talking, yelling and texting her. All a fail. I don't really know what else to do. She is taking medication, but thats about all that she will allow to help her.

"Darling, can you please take out the trash?" Mum croaks without looking at me.

"Sure." I grab the bag and skip down the hallway, grabbing a pair of blue sneakers as I pass my room and slip them on as I reach the front door. When opening the door, I am meet with a chilling breeze.

"One...two..." I count down, preparing to run. "Three!"

Racing down the pathway, leaping the stairs and hoping across the sidewalk to the bin. I made it and dumped the bag into the bin. I was about to turn back and run back inside, when something caught my eye.

I wasn't sure what I saw, it was only a flash, but it seemed rather peculiar. sneaking towards the corner of the street, I still saw nothing. Everything was quiet. Just a little, too quiet.

*Cooo* *co coo*

"Pigeons." I mutter under my breath, rolling my eyes before turning back to walk inside, but froze as I heard the unmistakable sigh of a person. Someone was watching me? Hiding even.

Pivoting round and walking back up to the corner, I hold my breath and listened.

Nothing.

No pigeons. No people. No sighs.

Then broke out into a run right in front of me. "Hey! You!" I started sprinting after him. "Stop!"

He didn't even slow. My heart beat rose, and each step into the ground was a burst of adrenaline. I wasn't getting any closer to him, but nor was he getting any further. I had to keep going.

We turned a corner, and another. The hill rose up creating a steep incline. I strain to keep my pace as my lungs burn for more oxygen. I had to keep going.

Another corner and I knew he mustn't know where he is going, because not too far now is a dead end. Moments later after that thought, we turn once more, and the graffitied brick wall blocking any further progress put an end to this chase. I had him, and wasn't going to let him go.

"Who are you?" I question the back of the boy's head. His slim shoulders move up and down, as mine was probably doing the same. I think he is contemplating his next move, because it took a number of seconds before he turned around to reply.

"Didn't want to have to expose myself, but you've given me no choice. Special agent Wilbur Robinson of the TCTF."

"What?" I cock my head to the side as I slowly approach him.

"Time Continuum Task Force. I'm on a special secret mission."

"And what would that be?"

"I can't tell you, it's bad enough you know who I am and who I'm working for. I won't risk telling you any more."

"Come on. I won't tell anyone. Promise." I plead.

He lets out a deep breath and thinks for a second before asking, "What's the weather been like lately?"

"Excuse me? I thought we were talking about your secret mission."

"I'll tell you, but you have been seen as a witness."

"A witness for what?"

"Shh." He puts his fingers to his lips and I silence myself. The boy, Wilbur, looks around before beckoning me to follow as he slowly tip toes around the corner and races off back down the street.

After back-tracking for a while, we take a new turn in a new direction towards my old school. A pang of dread hits my stomach, but I keep running. On the field by a group of trees, he finally stops. "What are we doing here for?"

"Turn around."

"What?"

"You heard."

I give in, and turn around. Behind me, I hear a metallic popping and start to turn back around before being tackle forwards, body-slamming into the ground. "I said turn around! I didn't say you could turn back."

"You weren't very precise. When you mean turn around, did you mean; turn around 180º, or 360º?"

He pulls himself back up to his feet, bringing me along with him, his hands covering my eyes. "What'd you think I meant?"

"Uh...360? And let me go." I squirm out of his grip, shoving him away when he protested, and turned around to see what he was hiding.

Nothing could prepare me for this.


	2. Chapter 2

Hope you like the story, and comment please! Thanks for reading

"W-w-what on earth is t-that?" I backed away, stumbling over thick roots weaving in and out of the ground.

"That, is a Time-Machine." Wilbur proudly introduced.

"You're crazy."

"Hey, I am NOT crazy!"

"Yes you are! What normal person would even come here, let only go near that thing. You come with me now, and I-I'll get some help..." I stutter, grabbing his wrist, completely convinced that whatever that contraption is, we shouldn't be around it. Not here. Not at this place. If it was anywhere else, like a park, I might be less reluctant in exploring this device, but here, who know what that could do.

"What! No! Look, I'll prove it!" I say, and takes advantage of exposed limb, grabbing it and pulling me towards the machine.

"No...no that's ok-" I stop when I am lifted, or should I say thrown, up onto the wing and pushed into the...thing. He jumps in after, closings the glass lid, sealing us inside.

"What's your favourite time period?"

"Umm..." I start, not really thinking about the question, but instead taking in the surroundings. Shiny gold, steel framed the glass dome. Patterned red metal lined the floor. Complicated controls decorated the dashboard in front of the driver's seat. Everything had so much detail, yet it all was so simple at the same time. The definition makes it seem complex, but the ideas, and repetition simplifies it.

"Heeelllllo?"

I return my gaze back to the boy in front of me. Creamy brown eyes stare at me, and for some reason I began to feel nervous.

"H-hello." I reply meekly.

"Okay, we're going to the 17th century if you can't make up your mind."

The engine rumbled to life and we lurch forward, taking off into the air, shoving me backwards into the seat. The world became small beneath, houses shrunk, the school disappeared., and everything grew brighter before flashing into a new unfamiliar world.

Everything had changed. No concrete, hardly any houses, and a lot of yellow, dirt land I didn't know we ever had with all of the roads and houses in the way. I marvelled as we came down closer to the land. Few people milled around, harvesting crops or unloading a wagon. Wagons. Cars didn't even exist now did they?

"Wow. E-everything is so different."

"Wait until you see the town."

We zip past a few farmers and houses. An angry mother chases her child, a belt in her hand. I shudder. Back in those days, a child must only be seen, not heard, so it doesn't surprise me that there is serious punishment for serious rules.

"How did they not see us just then?" I spoke up, rather concerned.

"Don't worry. The time-machine has an invisibility shield. Nobody can see a thing."

"Good" I mumble.

The buildings steadily grew in size and numbers as we neared town. More people walked by on the roads. Their clothes changed from dirty rags to tidier suits and heavy dresses. A woman with a kind of head piece walked along side a large man, who I presumed was her husband. She looked young, maybe only a few years older than I myself, and married. That was their culture I supposed. Her head piece though, it gave me chills. I remember learning about them. It was a called a 'Scold Bridle.' Used as a punishment for wives, if they 'misbehave.' Not a very nice punishment.

The air was dusty now, black smoke pumped into the atmosphere above. Factories appeared on every street. More and more people crowded the roads, horses pulled wagons, homeless poor men and women begged to the rich. Mud clad shoes trudged along the filthy paths. Grim expressions and sorrow eyes filled the town's mood. No bright colours or up-beat music moved the folk, men with a bounce in their step like I would see in my time. Posters and plastic mannequins were absent.

The town clock stood, looking grubby and dull. Unlike my time, the clock looked anything but grand. It was dull, and matched the rest of the towns emotion. Now, in my time, it had been cleaned and polished. A new automatic bell had been installed, rather than the heavy hand bell that hang from the hinges in this time. It makes me wonder if the clock in this time, and the clock in my time or even the same clock.

More shops and people crowed around in this area, like ants, running around doing errands. It surprised me to see such an unimportant city of my time, be such a busy town in this time.

"Why...how things has changed." I sigh as we glide swiftly down the main roads.

"You can say that again. Now you believe me and we can go back to 2019!"

"Wait!" I yelled. Wilbur pulled the brakes sharply, causing me to jolt forward into the driver's seat in front of me. Luckily I caught myself in time before crashing headfirst into Wilbur.

As I bring my eyes up, I see Wilbur frowning at me. "What? You know you have to go back to your time."

"Yes... but this is a time machine, so, as one might say, we have all the time in the world..."

"Where do you want to go?"

"Ummm..." I thought briefly before answering. "I want to go to the middle ages!"

"As you wish" Wilbur turns back round and swung the vehicle around, accelerating upwards, white glowed all around before flashing into a new world.

A large stone castle stretched to the skies, miles of endless fields unrolled out over distant hills, bright colours adorn the clothing of the citizens within the castle walls. People bustle within crowded, narrow alleys. Shouting for people to horses echoed out as part of the liveness within. Metal clangs loudly against metal in the blacksmith.

The sun washed down upon the castle. Guards in shiny metal armour and swords stood tall next to a large archway, leading into the castle. A open section within the castle itself had archers lined up. Seconds later, thin but lethal arrows shot out, hitting their targets square in the centre.

It was magical. I must have been gawking at the scenery for a while, because Wilbur started to laugh, and I glared at him. "Let me guess, you've been here before?"

"Only once, but I swear, my expression wasn't nearly as priceless as yours was just then!"

"Haha, how hilarious." I rolled my eyes and look back down at the world. I soon came to releasing how much closer everything is compared to my time, and even in the 16th century, which was more compacted than my time also. "It appears that over time, we become less and less reliant on each other, and as the centuries pass, our race seems to grow apart, taking up more land. Would you agree, Wilbur?"

"Hmm, ahh yea, I guess. Never really noticed actually till now."

"And the population. I know for fact it has always been getting bigger. How much more people are there is your time?"

"Not as many as you think, probably the same amount as your time-But anyhow, I really should be taking you back now before the Time Machine runs out of charge and we are stuck in what? 1508."

"Fine, but why exactly were you in my time, Wilbur?"

"Uhhh. No particular reason." He stammered while flicking switches and zooming forward, out of the Middle Ages, to the Aquarian Age.

The quiet neighbourhood sank into view, and immediately, so did the feeling of magic and joy disappear.

"Okay, it has been exactly five minutes since you chased me up the hill. Right now, if I'm right, we'll be talking at the school."

"So we are in two places at once."

"Duh. Now don't go running, looking for yourself, it is very important with time travel th-"

"Yes, I get it. Never meet with yourself in time travel and mess thing up etc etc. I've watch enough Doctor Who to understand time travel."

"Watched what?"

"A T.V show? You know, Tardis, Doctor, Companions? Or has that died out over time too?"

"Ohhh, that show. Dead. Gone. I think some director of a sort tried to make changes when the show was at it's best, but just killed the whole thing, so they killed off the Doctor and ended the show."

"Why does that not surprise me?" Wilbur shrugged his shoulders before opening the glass dome.

"Well, here you are, home sweet home as they say. Have a good evening."

"Well, how gentlemanly of you." I breathed as I climbed out and jumped to the ground before turning back. "You still haven't answered my question. Why were you here?"

"None of your business lady."

"Well, okay then. Will you come back? I think you Time Machine is pretty awesome."

"Awesome it is, but not as awesome as me, right?" Wilbur smiled while giving a cheeky wink.

"Sure, but will you come back?"

"Ummm" He trailed off.

"Please. Seeing the past gave me so much insight, even made me grateful for the life I have. I had a lot of fun also."

Wilbur looked away, sorrow masked his face briefly, making me wonder if what I said upset him, but he turned back, a cheerful smile now filling his expression and he asked, "I never caught your name you know."

"Oh, guess you didn't. Valencia. That's my name."


End file.
